Turning Point
by Danyu
Summary: Closer than ever, teenagers Yusuke and Keiko thought they had all the time in the world. But when they are suddenly faced with the reality of adulthood far too soon, nothing will ever be the same. IN PROGRESS.
1. One: In His Arms

**Turning Point**

**Chapter One: In His Arms **

It was morning already, the sun just peeking over the horizon. He stood at the open balcony door, letting the cool morning air rush into the already cold apartment, but he wasn't aware of the chill as it brought to his bare torso. He wasn't aware of much of anything anymore.

His eyes hurt, heavy from lack of sleep. His head ached. Everything ached. Abruptly, he realized he really wanted to pummel something. He hadn't slept a wink the night before. He wondered if it would be the worry or the lack of sleep that finally made him deranged. His lips curled into a humorless smile at his cynical joke, running a hand through his hair, tousling the already messy black locks.

There were dozens of questions- dozens of worries- dozens of doubts; all of them running through his head, his emotions going wild. He threw back his head to watch the last of the sunrise, letting his mind wander back to the night before.

She had come to see him that night- to tell him she was going to have his child. One night they had been together, the best night of his life. The last thing he had expected, even with his admission of love to her; he'd given her both a miracle and the biggest complication of her life.

They had created a new life together. He closed his eyes, joy and thrill coursing through him, only to be chased away by the guilt and remorse. This had been the same thing running through his head last night.

He hadn't been able to do a thing. She had needed so much more from him last night. She had needed comfort, needed reassurance. She had needed _him_. All he done was turn away, when she had needed him the most. He had just run away. As much as he hated himself for it, as much as he hated to admit it. He was afraid. Fear wasn't something easy for him to admit. But it was there. He lacked so much that she would need. Still, he had to give everything he had to give.

He suddenly knew what he had to do.

xxxx

Morning had finally come. Sunshine spilled in through the window, flooding the room with a golden glow. She almost felt that nature was making a mockery of her mood. Pulling the blanket tighter around her, she rolled away from the window. She hadn't slept very long. It surprised her she had been able to sleep at all. She had finally exhausted herself enough, crying herself to sleep. Even at the thought, tears crept into her eyes, and she irritably blinked them away. She was determined not to cry anymore. Tears wouldn't do anything for her now. She wished she could be stronger, feeling so weak and vulnerable. She knew she needed to be stronger, if she had to face this on her own.

She had gone to see him the night before, knowing she had to tell him somehow. She remembered well, her own shock at the first announcement. Getting sick in the mornings; feeling tired beyond what she should; terrible headaches, dizziness. She had gone to the doctor, thinking she had a virus.

How far she had been from the truth…it was still burned vividly in her mind, the way the paper had trembled in her hands, as she read the test results over and over again in disbelief. So many fears, so many questions, too much for her to face on her own.

And so she had finally summoned the courage to tell him.

He didn't say a word. The look on his face was enough: wide-eyed and thunderstruck. And he had run away. She couldn't blame him for it. She wanted to run away herself, just be able to escape the inevitable truth, that she was carrying their child. She was the only one that could not get away. She knew he was afraid. He would never admit such a thing, but he was. And still, she couldn't blame him for it. How could she, when she felt such fear herself? Just the thought of what was happening, enough to leave her trembling inside.

It wasn't that she didn't want the child. She had always wanted a family of her own. But she wasn't ready to be a mother. She was only sixteen. What if she wasn't good enough? What if she couldn't give their baby what he or she needed? What if their families completely rejected them for this? What if...?

It had only taken one night to lead them to this. She had never questioned he would be her _first_, but it had shocked her how he made her feel. It was a side of him rare to see, a part of him so gentle. His touch had been tender, passionate, his kisses enough to light a fire in both her body and heart. Her heart had never stood a chance against him, never hesitating in giving itself to him.

They had been no more than small children when she had first met him. The moment she had given him her offer of friendship, she had devoted herself to him. She promised to stay by his side. She vowed to take care of him. She was determined to protect him in away different from the way than how he protected her.

She needed him now. More than any other time before, she need him more than ever. She hated to need him, such a weakness when she needed to be strong. For her sake, for his sake, for their child's sake. She couldn't lean on him when he didn't want it. But still she did, if only they could lean on each other. She wanted his love. She wanted his support. Not just for her, but for the little life growing inside of her. She would bring that little life into the world. And give all the love she could, a love she already felt.

Her baby.

Her child.

xxxx

He went to see her later that afternoon. It broke his heart to see the pain so evident in her expression. It broke him even more when she nearly slammed the door in his face. He pushed his way inside, intent on seeing her. He took her hands, feeling them small and smooth against his rougher palms. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let them open once again. Full of emotion- pain, regret, longing, but above all, burning with love.

He spoke to her gently, reassuring the best he could; trying to make her understand all that was going through his heart and head. She pulled away, turning away from him. He looked at her, hair shadowing most of her hair from him, tears in her eyes. She was well aware of his burning stare, but she could not bear to look his way. He pulled her into his arms, into a warm and strong embrace.

She couldn't hold it back any longer, and she fell against him crying. He held her closer, and she held him closer still, her arms in a desperate hold as if he would disappear.

He came to see her that afternoon, and it was complete shock to see him behind that door. She couldn't stop the waves of pain that came when she saw him. She held back the tears the best she could. It tore her heart to have him so close, and yet so far from her, though not knowing he was closer than she thought.

Seeing the regret in his eyes, she feared the worst, thinking he couldn't stay beside her. He caught her hands in his, even as she tried to get away. She couldn't help the shiver that ran through her, at the feel of rough, calloused palms she knew so well against her skin. She watched as he closed his eyes, wondering what he was doing.

And then he slowly opened again. It was her turn to stand in shock, unable to understand. His eyes, no wall keeping back his soul. No cold barrier to hide what he was feeling. Rich mahogany brown, full of love and warmth. He began to speak, and though half of it didn't make sense, with as fast as he talked, it still soothed her, with he tone he used, so warm and soft and reassuring. He became a different man right before her eyes, all over again.

She couldn't take it. She pulled away, turned away from him. Hair shadowing most of her face from him, tears in her eyes, she tried to hide from him. She could feel his eyes on her, burning into her very soul. He broke through her resistance, pulling her to him.

"I'm here, Kei. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

Her tears had long since stopped, and still she stayed in his arms, her head cradled in the crook of his shoulder. He sheltered her, sheltered them both, with soft, tender words, and the strong protection of his body.

"I love you, Yusuke."

He smiled at her use of the three simple words that held his heart, and as he pressed a kiss to her forehead, he quietly whispered in reply. Her name, soft and reverent, and it was the only thing to fill the silence for a long while.


	2. Two: Trust Me

**Chapter Two: Trust Me**

The silence was almost smothering. She could hardly stand this tense silence between them.

Keiko took a moment to look up from her textbook to watch her boyfriend sitting by her bed, his eyes scanning back and forth over the open schoolbook in front of him, occasionally going to the paper where he wrote his notes. His forehead was wrinkled in concentration, as dark eyes- clouded and serious- studied the complicated math equations he was struggling to solve.

Seeing a serious Yusuke was strange enough, but to see him serious and studying was a rare sight. One thing about him she had admired in any other circumstance was his one-track minded determination, but now, he seemed to take avoidance onto a whole new level.

It had been three days since he had come o see her ha morning, the morning after ha disastrous nigh, when she had broken he news o him ha she was pregnant with their child. Things had seemed to go right between then; in Yusuke's arms, she felt ready to face the world. She knew they would have to face the reality of the situation at some time, but now Yusuke seemed unwilling to do so. Not a word had passed between them about it since then.

As much as she herself tried to concentrate on the homework, her traitorous eyes continued to stray back to him, and now she admitted defeat as she closed her textbook with a sigh.

The soft sound of the book closing finally broke the uncomfortable quiet of her room, and caught his attention, his eyes leaving his paper to settle on her. "Kei?"

Taking a deep breath to gather her courage, she turned her head to face him again. "Yusuke, we need to talk," she said softly.

He didn't say a word, holding one hand out to her as he got to his feet. Keiko tentatively placed her hand in his, their fingers interlacing. He lifted himself up, with silent, fluid grace so unlike his rough n' tumble personality, but so ingrained as the youkai warrior inside of him. Keiko found herself being drawn to him as he let himself fall forward onto the bed, enveloping her into his arms. Head resting in the crook of her neck, face hidden in her hair, Yusuke sighed, his warm breath brushing across her cheek. "I know," he solemnly replied.

Keiko wrapped her arms around him, pressing a soft kiss to his temple. With one arm firmly around her waist, he rolled over onto his back, taking her with him. He rested his head atop of hers, taking in a deep breath and letting it out. He released in a rush, seeming to deflate with the exhalation.

"Where were you the other night?" she asked, her fingers delicately curling around the edges of her bedspread as she absently traced along the embroidered hemline.

He smiled, as he couldn't help appreciating her tone. There was no demand in her voice, only wondering inquiry. She wasn't going to force him to tell her where he'd been, what he'd done. She wasn't attempting to pester or order an answer from him, she was merely curious. It spoke of her trust in him. He'd always known Keiko had faith in him, yes, but true trust, close and real, amazed him every time.

"Kuwabara's. He let me crash on his couch."

"Ah." With that soft sound of acknowledgement and a short nod, the matter was closed. Keiko's touch was back then, stroking his face and hair, gently soothing him. His eyes fluttered shut and he pushed his cheek into the heel of her hand, letting out a murmur of contentment.

As his eyes closed, she watched as his face began to relax, smoothing over the worry lines etched into his handsome features, and the tautness began to ease from the muscles below her. He looked so peaceful this way, reminding her of the little boy she had once known, the boy she had dedicated herself to all those years ago. It was strange in a way, when she thought about it.

They had been more than small children, then, when she first met Yusuke. Even if six-year-old Keiko hadn't yet known it, the moment she had reached out to him with an offer of friendship, she had devoted herself to him, to stay by his side, protecting him in ways different from the way he watched after her.

She sighed with relief as she felt the tension fading from his body, reaching down to touch her fingers to his cheek. She gently traced the line of his nose, and the arc of each eyebrow. She brushed her thumbs down the smooth skin of his cheeks, and the line of his jaw and chin. A face she had known forever, a face she knew better than even her own.

Thick lashes fluttered over warm brown eyes, opening to stare up at her alight with a fire that was so entirely Yusuke. He kissed her fingertips, his lips smooth and warm against her fingers. "Keiko…"

Gracing him with a gentle smile, she folded her arms across his chest to peer down at him. Her smile slowly faded as she realized she would soon have to disturb the peaceful quiet between them. "Yusuke, we can't ignore this."

Yusuke sighed again, throwing an arm over his eyes, as if he could guard himself from the forthcoming conversation. "I know that. It's just…Gods, Keiko, I have no idea what to do with this."

"I don't, either, love, but I do know one thing. I want this baby, Yusuke, and ready or not, I'm going to be a mother to our child."

Yusuke took in an unsteady breath, turning his eyes to stare at the lackluster ceiling above them. He felt her familiar weight against his stomach, and thought back to the first time they had lain together like this. That is, the morning after the whole mess had begun. It had been an odd sensation, waking up to feel her curled up against him, soft and warm, the weight of her hardly anything against his muscled torso. It had been a pleasant feeling of euphoria, a blissful completion like nothing he had ever felt before. She made him feel whole, complete, a heaven on earth.

Forcing himself back to reality, he became aware the harmony between them had been short-lived, and the near-smothering silence was back full-force. No sound between them, the only sound in the room was her unsteady breaths from where she lay with her head buried in his chest, as if she could sense his ill feeling, and his own, ragged and erratic.

Only a month before, his biggest conflict in life was his childish denial of his feelings for Keiko, his constant rebuttal of the chance to share the lifelong love he had for her. It had been his admission of his feelings to her that had changed him, matured him, and their relationship had only strengthened that. All the time he had spent building up his courage to tell her had been a battle enough, and now the situation they had plunged themselves into made that struggle seem so miniscule. But he knew that without all that time spent, all the time he had battled with himself, his feelings for her, his resolve to stay with her, his need to protect her, none of it would have grown as strong.

"A father," he breathed, "It's so unbelievable, that out of everyone else, I'm going to be a father."

Her breath caught, and she raised her head to look up at him with eyes full of a confusing emotion, half fragile hope, and half trepidation. "Is…is that what you want, Yusuke? Are you sure?"

A soft smile touched his lips, as he reached up a hand to cup her cheek, stroking the smooth skin with the pad of his thumb. "C'mon, Kei. If I say it, I gotta mean it, ne?" Seeing her faint smile at the familiar teasing lilt to his voice, he leaned up to brush his lips against her forehead. "I mean it, love. I've never been more sure of anything…well, maybe being with you."

She pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, but he caught her chin in his hand, holding her lips to his, and he kissed her. Gentle at first, mild as a brother's kiss, and then it became something more. A shock that jolted through her, a heat that enveloped her as she leaned into his embrace, his arms across her back strong and unyielding as he held her tightly to him, simultaneously demanding and gentle, as he kissed her in a way that made her his, in a way that both thrilled and soothed her.

As he parted his mouth from hers, he planted feather-light kisses along the line of the jaw and chin, and down to her neck, nuzzling his nose against the hollow between neck and shoulder. He exhaled, the moist breath a warm caress against her skin. His hands skimmed from her shoulders and downward, tracing lazy patterns down her bare arms, stopping to meet the hem of her skirt at her waistline. Slowly, deliberately, he pulled the blouse from the long skirt she wore, and touched slender fingers to the soft skin of her stomach. She pulled back just enough to watch him, intrigued, as his eyes locked on his hands as if mesmerized; following every motion as he ever so carefully caressed the skin of her mid-drift, still flat and smooth despite the tiny life she carried inside. He smiled, a strange, thoughtful smile she didn't have time to decipher before he bent his head and pressed a gentle, chaste kiss near her navel.

He frowned reflectively, glancing back at her as he straightened and hugged her to him, kissing her again. His kiss was different this time, soothing, warm, and chaste, a plea to trust him, a promise to protect her. _No_, she thought, to protect the both of them.

He pulled away slowly, studying her carefully as he did. "We'll find a way to make this work, Keiko. Trust me, please."

"I always have, Yusuke. I'm not going to stop now."


	3. Three: Anticipation

**Turning Point**

**Chapter Three: Anticipation**

They had talked it through, again and again, every detail, every scenario that came to mind, and still they could not find a solution. Bodies lay entwined, arms around one another, legs entangled, her head pillowed against his chest, nestled deep in his embrace as if he meant to shelter her from the world. And it was his greatest wish, to protect her, an air of hopelessness settled in their silence, their mantle of responsibility seeming heavier than ever before.

Yusuke lay with the love of his life in his arms, trying to lose himself in her, as he had always been able. Her touch, her scent, the feel of her arms around him could make the world slip away. But now, his worries weighted too heavily on her mind and heart, and he was unable to escape.

"This is hopeless," he said dejectedly, feeling her eyes on him before the words had even left his mouth. He turned his head to meet her gaze, already knowing what he would find there. Calm, reassuring orbs of hazel brown, mingled with hope and trust that made him feel the weight of his doubts even more. He tightened his arms around her. His calm in the storm.

"I've never been one to plan for the future, Kei. I've never had a serious job; I have no savings, no place of my own. I have no idea how we'll do this."

"There has to be a way, Yusuke. Maybe we're just not seeing it.

He huffed, combing his fingers through his dark hair.

"…my parents…"

He sat up slowly, taking her with him. She felt his body tense, felt his eyes settle on her, harsh and disconcerted, and she inwardly winced, knowing full well what was coming.

"What?"

She sighed, bracing herself for the upcoming battle. "My parents, Yusuke. We need their help."

His jaw set in a familiar, stubborn line she knew well. "No. I won't."

"We don't have many choices at the moment, Yusuke."

"The hell I do!"

She lifted from her place against him to sit on the side of the bed, if only to put some distance between them. "I could work, too. You don't have to take on all this on your own."

"We've already been through that. You're not quitting school."

"It's alright for you, but not for me?"

"That's different! You're not like me, Keiko."

She paused, anger momentarily forgotten as she caught the undercurrents in his tone. "Yusuke….what do you mean by that?"

"You and I aren't the same, Kei. You have a future ahead of you. I'm not going to let you leave school. I won't let you ruin your life because of me."

"Kami, Yusuke." He turned to her as he felt her hand touch his, enveloping her smaller palm in his. "You're exasperating, you know that? You're a hero, Yusuke. You're a kind, giving person who does all he can to help people. All those thoughts you have about not measuring up, is so far from how I think of you. I never have."

She leaned in to kiss him softly, and Yusuke's eyes closed, a slow breath expelling from him. "I love you, Yusuke, and that's what matters. Alright? Besides, this shouldn't be about that. This isn't about me, or you, my future, or your pride. Love, we need help."

She leaned her head against his shoulder, taking solace in the solid muscle beneath her cheek, and the strong arm that wrapped around her waist. Stubborn and exasperating aside, his strength, not just of body, but of spirit and heart as well, was something she always found so wonderful in him, something unwavering. But despite his bravado, she knew there was parts of him still like the little boy she had known so long ago, insecurities and fears he was so afraid to show. She wanted to be there to curb those anxieties, to chase away those fears. She wanted him to let her in.

"Together, we can do this, Yusuke. But we need help to get there."

Raising their entwined hands, Keiko brushed her lips over his knuckles. Only silence met her for a long pause, and when he spoke again, there was a note of finality, of surrender, in his voice that signaled a temporary end to their quarrel. "….Let me think on everything some more. Maybe things will seem different in the morning." He stood up, gently tugging on her hand to bring her to her feet. "At least let me walk you home…"

She shook her head, her slight smile resigned, a bit sad. "No, I don't think that would be a good idea. I have to do this on my own."

For a moment, he appeared as if he might argue, but he gave in, ducking his head to kiss her before leaning his head against hers. "I'll come by in the morning, okay?"

She nodded, planting a half-hearted kiss on his cheek before leaving him alone in the room with the shadows of the descending sun and his own thoughts. A familiar feeling bore down on him in her absence, telling him he didn't deserve the happiness he felt being with her, the anticipation he felt when he thought of their family to be. It was in moments like this that he remembered that her entire world was about to be torn asunder, torn apart, and it was all his doing. That she had a responsibility to bear that she should never have been given, and it was all his fault.

_Just be careful, Keiko…_


	4. Four: Confrontation

Turning Point

**Chapter Four: Confrontation**

_Keiko, love, I have no idea what to do…_

He lay immobile on his bed, sheets and blankets tangled eschew around his legs, as he stared despondently at the ceiling above him, as if it held the answers he was so desperately seeking. Half-formed thoughts and emotions raced through his head, mingling and twining in an intense jumble that left him feeling ready to explode.

It was moments like this that had once made him so dangerous. Growing up, he had to face the reality of his life early on. In delicate terms, Atsuko Urameshi had never been the mothering type of woman, and their situation had left him fending for himself. Slowly, he learned to care for himself, protect himself and cope in the only ways he knew how. To survive, he relied solely on one thing: his own strength.

To achieve that strength meant pushing away any signs of weakness, and that included his emotions. He came to regard feelings as feeble, weak things that brought him nothing but misery and distraction, and he had dealt with enough of that already. But when Emotion became something tangible, something too real that he could no longer push away, he sought relief from the turbulent rage that stirred inside him. He turned violent.

He fought, he drank, he smoked, he gambled; the older he grew, the greater risks he took. He became a troublemaker, a bully, seeking any fight or trouble he could immerse himself in. For a short time, the adrenaline would surge through him, letting him forget. Or a fight would be picked, and he spoke through his fists, letting his release come through the aggression. Adults and classmates, everyone he came in contact with, could see the violence inside of him, and they feared it.

Those who thought themselves brave dared to confront him, only to prove themselves fools as they failed, trying to break him, conform him, and he evaded them every step of the way. He proved himself to be something unstoppable, unbreakable, and unable to be contained or controlled. His recruitment by Koemna, to serve the Spirit World in exchange for the granting of his life, even that had been an outlet. Over time, it became something more, a fight for life and loved ones and friends, but never escaped, never left behind the violence he was buried so deeply in.

Keiko had come into his life, changing everything his world had come to make sense of. It had been so early on that she became part of his world; they were children to the greatest degree; he six and she five. She had been the first to reach out to him, to show him that things could be different. But they were too young to understand, immaturity and stubbornness taking residence where understanding should have resided. They were as different as night and day, in temperament as well as background. Despite it all, a connection formed between them, a common thread that bound and drew them to one another.

She was the one who could calm the storm that raged inside him, the one who could see beyond his act to see him for who he was. But even she was not capable of taming him. He refused to concede, so set in his ways it terrified him to change. And then something happened, something extraordinary that brought his world to a screeching half, threw him utterly off-balance, and sent him hurtling into an unknown future. He fell in love. Even more, he fell in love with his best friend.

It had been said that to fall in love with one's best friend was to bring about both the greatest heartache and the greatest happiness. He felt it all, the entire rollercoaster of feelings and emotions that thrilled and pained, confused and elated him. The final confrontation he faced, the end of his struggles was the fight with himself to overcome his own petty immaturities to give himself the chance for something more. He had admitted the truth of his feeling for Keiko, to find them reciprocated in full. He had discovered his bliss, found his peace, and now their world was shifting again, to compensate for the greatest challenge he had ever known.

He was father to an unborn child, a child growing inside the woman he loved with everything he was. Already, he could never bear the thought of giving nothing less than all he had to give; as little as it was, to this one life that was only just beginning.

No matter what happened, no matter what they confronted, he would never turn away.

xxxx

Katsuhiko Yukimura had always considered himself a reasonable man. Reasonable, rational, understanding. He had always tried to be that kind of man, that kind of father, and for all his forty years of life and sixteen years of fatherhood, he had held true to the same ideals. He found those ideals sorely tested, however, as he was faced by one of a father's worst nightmares made flesh. His baby girl, the only child he and Seiko had been capable of having, had been with a man, and now she carried a child out of wedlock. Defying everything he held to be true about his daughter.

It took all the strength of his will, all his love for his Keiko, to keep his voice calm and steady, hold back the anger and hurt that welled up inside him. He sighed, his breath husky and ragged, grateful for the table obscuring the view of the fists clenching at his sides. "Pregnant, Keiko. How could you do something so reckless?"

Keiko sat across from him, the eyes directed towards the hands folded in her lap miserable and apprehensive. She dared to raise her eyes to meet her father's, instantly recoiling at the hurt she found there. "Daddy…."

"No, not even reckless. Your innocence, Keiko. How could you give up something that precious?"

At that, Seiko Yukimura placed a tentative hand on her husband's arm. "Katsu-anata(1), perhaps you should let me speak to her on that matter."

Absently, Katsuhiko patted the hand resting on his arm, giving the small reassurance as he could as he kept his eyes locked on his daughter. "I don't think so, aisuru(2)."

"Katsu, onegai(3)."

Katsuhiko sighed again, reluctantly conceding. "Hai(4). For now."

Tears pooled in her eyes, obscuring her vision, as she wrapped her arms protectively around her middle. She could never stand to see that kind of betrayal, that kind of hurt in her father's eyes. Pain, disappointment, anger, all of that she could expect, but her betrayal of his trust had cut him deeply, and it was something neither he nor she would be able to easily forgive.

"D-Daddy, I can never say how sorry I am…."

Katsuhiko sighed again, rubbing a hand over his face, while Seiko found the other, their fingers tightly enlacing. If anything, this could remain the constant in his world, violently changing as it was, literally over night. His wife's support, his own reassurance. His anchor was eighteen years of marriage with the woman who had brought their precious daughter into the world. This was his defeat, the breakthrough to get beyond his bluster. His little girl was scared and hurting.

"Keiko, sweetheart. Have you given any thought to what you're going to do? What about school? What about your future?"

"I don't know, Daddy. I'm sorry, but I truly don't. Everything is happening so fast, I've just been taking it one step at a time. But, Mama, Daddy, I know I can do this. I just want you to trust me enough to know that."

Katsuhiko reached out with his free hand, enveloping his daughter's trembling fingers in a warm and reassuring grip. "Keiko, we do trust you. But sweetheart, this is….This is serious. You are sixteen years old, Keiko. What about school? You are a wonderful student, and if you keep on the right track, you could make it to any school you wanted. From there, you can go so far. But you've made yourself responsible for another life."

Seiko nodded in agreement. "There's nothing easy about parenthood, honey. You have to realize the responsibility that comes with this. Your life is going to change, Keiko, and you have to be ready to deal with that."

"I know, Mama. I'm ready to be a mother to my baby. I know I am."

Her grasp on her husband's hand tightening almost painfully, Seiko fought back tears at what she saw as her daughter's earnest naiveté. She remembered well what it meant to be young, in love, and pregnant. She had been eighteen when she married Katsuhiko, and Keiko had been conceived within a year of their marriage. The two of them had been so young, and hardly ready; she just barely out of school and at odds with her family over what they saw as rash decisions; Katsuhiko busy as he struggled to start up his ramen house, his lifetime dream. "Oh, sweetheart. Having a child is never easy. Especially when one is so young."

Keiko dropped her eyes. She felt suddenly tired, the weight of the past week pressing down on her worse then ever before. The thought that her and Yusuke's struggle was only beginning, only exhausted her more.

"Keiko, at least do one thing for me. Give me the name of the young man who did this to you."

Her head shot up, her eyes wide; as she felt fear for the first time she could remember in her father's presence. "Daddy, please. Give me a chance to talk to him before you do anything. Onegai."

"His name, Keiko."

"Promise me, Daddy."

"Fine, you have my promise. But give me his name."

Keiko ducked her head, her hair falling forward around her face, and took in a deep, shaky breath in a hope to somehow steel her resolve. "Yusuke. It's Yusuke."

The silence that followed was broken suddenly by a soft knocking on the door. Katsuhiko quietly excused himself, his face misleadingly expressionless as he rose to his feet and left the room. Seiko faced her daughter, struck silent and shocked by her disclosure. Yusuke Urameshi, her daughter's best friend since childhood. More than he seemed, troubled and misunderstood, a goodhearted young man beneath his bluster and troublemaking.

He had suddenly become something more; somewhere along the line he and Keiko had made the transition from childhood friends to lovers, and now to the teenage parents of her unborn child. If it was hard to fathom Keiko doing something so reckless, it was even more so with the young Yusuke-kun. She saw him as an honorary son, and there had always been an unspoken agreement between them that she entrusted Keiko to him, and that had been betrayed.

"Keiko," she began softly, hesitantly.

"Mama, I love him. I can't give you and Daddy any reasons, or excuses, or even explanations. All I can give you is that I love him, and he loves me too. You of all people can understand that, can't you, Mama?"

"Yes, I can, baby. But you have to realize, none of this is that simple. Have you told Yusuke-kun?"

"Hai."

Katsuhiko left behind the tense atmosphere of the room, swinging over the door at the quiet but insistent knocking to reveal a tall, lean young man on the other side. Hands buried in the pockets of his denim jacket, shuffling his feet as he glanced up warily at the older man through the hair falling into his eyes. Katsuhiko's jaw clenched as he regarded the young man standing before him. Yusuke Urameshi had made his entrance.

xxxx

Anata- darling; most often used by a woman in referring to her husband

Aisuru- beloved

Onegai- please

Hai- yes


	5. Five: Stormy Waters

Turning Point

**Chapter Five: Stormy Waters **

It was disconcerting how much the short walk from his apartment to the Yukimura household compared to his own funeral procession. Dusk had fallen, casting dark shadows over the rambling, empty streets. Crossing the lines between the slums he had called home since childhood to the more traditional, comely residential neighborhoods put him on edge, delivering a harsher dose of reality than he cared to be dealt.

The streets were strangely deserted for the time of day, but he could feel no surprise as the rapid shifts between worlds caused more distance between worlds than the subtle boundaries separating the city districts ever could. The only sound breaking the silence was the rhythm of his feet falling against the broken concrete, an eerie affect caused by the sounds echoing against the walls of the buildings nearby.

What had started as a vague, foreboding feeling in the back of his mind suddenly grew into the cold edge of unease that ripped through him. An anxious knotting in his stomach, the icy grip of fear tightening with every step he took. Feelings he had earlier dismissed as foolish returned full-force and stronger than ever before, anxiety and fear taking residence in his mind, refusing to be pushed aside.

He stood before Katsuhiko Yukimura feeling very much the frightened child, nervously shifting his feet as he glanced up at the older man through the dark hair shading his eyes. "Jii-san…" he began, and then stopped himself as he caught sight of the elder's expression. He inwardly sighed; even if he had lived his life considering Yukimura-jiisan as the closest thing he had to a father, he would not blame Katsuhiko if he hated him now.

There were only a handful of individuals Yusuke Urameshi had come to truly trust and respect throughout his life, and Katsuhiko Yukimura was one of those. He was one of the few who saw Yusuke as more than a bastard punk from the wrong side of town, accepted him as the object of his daughter's affection, and through that acceptance there was an unspoken agreement between them; in which Katsuhiko entrusted to him Keiko's safety and protection, and in Keiko's pregnancy, he had betrayed that trust. Guilt and pain weighed heavy and devastating on his mind as he carefully corrected his words, finally preparing himself to confront his lover's father.

"Yukimura-san," he started hesitantly, "I'm sorry to come by so late."

"I can't say I'm surprised, Yusuke."

He winced at the elder's cold, brusque tone. "Yukimura-san, has…have you…has Keiko spoken with you?"

"Yes, she has."

"T-then you know…."

"Yes, Urameshi. I know about the child."

Yusuke took in a shuddering, gasping breath. There was an uncomfortable sensation in his chest, a strange, awful pressure tightening until he could scarcely breathe, let alone form the words he needed to say. With a flare of heated anger and determination, he fought against the irrational fears that threatened to hold him back.

"Yukimura-san, I can't start to imagine how you're probably feeling right now, especially toward me-"

"You aren't in the position to presume anything at the moment, young man. I think its best if you leave-"

"Onegai, Yukimura-san, please just hear me out."

Katsuhiko sighed, pressing his fingers to his temples, and giving the younger man a curt nod of consent. "Alright, Yusuke. Just speak your piece."

"I can never apologize enough to you, for how reckless I was. There are dozens of things I should have differently, and for that I'll always be sorry. But please, understand. I have every intention of staying by Keiko's side and doing what's necessary to be the father of our child. I will never, _ever _turn my back on this responsibility, and of that you can be sure."

"I'm glad to hear you're willing to live up to your mistakes. But this changes nothing that has happened, Yusuke. You need to understand something as well, young man. This is only the very beginning of your battle. This will be easy compared to what you're facing."

The threatening underlines of challenge in Yukimura-san's voice was enough to deflate what confidence Yusuke had managed to build up through his monologue. He had disappointed Katsuhiko, and done something that jeopardized Keiko; the older man would not make things easy for him now. "I betrayed your trust, jii-san, and I understand that. But Keiko and I-"

"Go home, Yusuke," despite himself, Yusuke could not fail to notice the raw note of desperation in his elder's voice, "Go home, and give me time to calm down and think this through. Because by the gods, boy, you won't be setting a foot near my daughter as long as I can help it!"

With the door slammed in his face, Yusuke crumbled in on himself in defeat. His legs gave out from under him as he fell forcefully to his knees. A strangled, choked noise of anger and desperation sounded from his throat as he slammed his fists into the concrete of the door stoop, mindless to the angry crimson streaks of blood they scrawled across the ashen surface.

xxxx

Two floors above, banished to her bedroom, Keiko watched him despondently, her heart breaking for him, unable to do a thing to ease his pain, as tears flooded her eyes, obscuring her vision of him.

"_I love you."_

_It was the first time either of them had ever spoken the words they both knew to ring true and still Yusuke found himself frozen above her, staring down at her with wide, panicked eyes. She smiled softly, albeit a little insecurely, as she raised a hand to cup the back of his neck, pulling him down to meet her in a gentle kiss. _

"_I love you, Yusuke."_

"_Are you scared?"_

_His voice was soft and husky, smooth as silk. In the dark, the body leaning over her held a strong and masculine presence that was so very Yusuke, and simultaneously unlike anything she had ever encountered. His eyes were imploring and dark. _

"_Scared…? Of what?"_

"_Feeling like that."_

"_No. It's you."_

_No, she was not scared. She was the safest she had ever been, here with him. Her heart raced within her breast. She could feel him closer than he had ever been before; his presence was all around her, overwhelming her every sense. Just Yusuke. "Yusuke…"_

"…_it scares me…" he admitted softly, "…it scares the hell out of me…"_

_She reached out, soothingly running her hands down the contours of his back as they sank back together against the bed. He reached for the button of her jeans, craning his head to seek her lips. _

"_Help me not be so scared…"_

_She obeyed, tugging at the hem of his sweater, responding eagerly at his kiss. _

_And her thoughts were filled with him and nothing more. _

This time, Yusuke wasn't there to chase away the cold, icy grip of her fear. She wrapped her arms around herself in a poor mimic of his remembered embrace, and sobbed.

The only option they had left was to wait for morning, for some kind of hope that the new day could bring them. They could only hope.

xxxx

jii-san/ojiisan- honorary and/or affectionate title, meaning uncle or grandfather.

onegai: please


	6. Six: Stifling Silence

Turning Point

**A/N: If there's anyone who thinks Yusuke and Keiko are overreacting to being kept apart, or just feels for them, keep that in the back of your mind. It'll come up later. **

**Chapter Six: Stifling Silence**

_One year…_

One year since he had admitted to himself that he was in love.

_One Month…_

A single month since he had said the words out loud, admitting to Keiko just how much she meant to him.

_Three Weeks…_

Three weeks since the loss of both their virginity, their first night together.

_One week…_

One week, since she had discovered that she was carrying his child.

_Five days…_

Five days since her father had slammed the door in his face.

Five days since she was made a prisoner in her own home.

_Four days…_

Four days since he had slept through the night or eaten a full meal, too sick with worry to do either.

Four days that had passed, with her as a mirror of his condition.

_Ten hours…_

Ten hours since her father had called him, requesting his presence the following morning.

_One hour…_

One hour, all he had left, until it was time for Katsuhiko Yukimura-san to pass his judgment.

xxxx

_I've seen better days. _

A soft, disgusted snort broke the silence of the room as Yusuke wearily raised his eyes again to the bathroom mirror before him. "That's the understatement of the year," he murmured, raising a hand to brush back the limp dark hair falling in his face, "I look like shit."

His features were pale and fatigued, lined and taut with worry. The skin beneath his eyes appeared bruised, and the brown eyes that stared back him were dim and weary, bloodshot from lack of sleep. Unkempt hair fell lifelessly against his forehead. He had not touched a razor in nearly a week, and the dark stubble grew in rough patches along his jaw line.

Memory seemed like something of the far and distant past, fuzzy and out of focus, something indistinct he could not fully grasp. Recalling when he had last slept or ate was impossibility, because the remote entity called Memory was not within his reach.

The sharp, constant throbbing between his temples worked as a constant reminder of his exhaustion and the neglected state of his body. He had long stopped feeling hungry, and his stomach was hollow, condensed into a tight and painful knot within his abdomen. His limbs felt languid and weighted as lead, as he dragged a hand over his face, forcefully lifting the lids of his eyes.

He was disgusted with himself. Being helpless was not a feeling he dealt with easily, no matter what the situation, and Katsuhiko's restriction had left him incapable of doing anything to help Keiko or himself. There was little he could have done, and with no ability of foresight he was only left to stand by idly and wonder. The feeling of helplessness, the shame he felt at being unable to lift a hand to aid his loved one, the fear of what was to happen, all of it warred inside him in a maelstrom of hurt and emotion, combining into a single force capable of pushing him to his limits.

But what good could of letting himself waste away, neglecting his body to this point? Letting himself wallow in his own self-pity would not work toward any kind of resolution, would not bring any sort of aid for Keiko and their child.

He peeled off the grungy tee shirt and boxers, grimacing as his nostrils filled with the scent of his own body odor. He reached for and turned the nozzle of the shower, and stepped inside the glass encasement, the water spilling from the showerhead to wash relief and new vigilance over his tired body.

xxxx

Staring dejectedly out her window, no matter the time of day or night had seemingly become her favorite pastime. Days and nights passed at a rate that was agonizingly slow, stretching on until she was sure she could take no more. No more of this waiting, not knowing what would happen next.

She hated the helplessness, the pain and the worry that bore down on her with all the force of a typhoon. Worst still, she hated the depression that wore on, the tension and heavy silence that had enveloped the Yukimura home in its forceful grip three days before.

She slept at odd times, giving in to her body's demands for rest without ceremony, no matter what the time of light or dark. She took her meals at a dinner table held in a chokehold of ill feeling, the anticipation in the air reflecting the knowledge that any moment, any wrong word or movement or breath could shatter the fragility of the quiet.

Her father avoided her as if she had contracted the worst of diseases imaginable. He refused to acknowledge her, never spoke to her, never stayed in her presence beyond those stifling suppers, and never met her eyes. She could feel the tension, the disappointment and the disapproval radiating from his body in waves, a thick and palpable presence that was straining, nearly driving her to tears every time she dared to be near him.

The affects of pregnancy had begun, hitting her full-force at her lowest. Every morning, hunched over that now despised porcelain bowl as her body unceremoniously chose to empty her stomach of its contents. Her mother was with her at times like that, holding back her hair and soothingly rubbing her back.

If her father was coming to hate her, her mother was providing her soothing haven in the constant state of confusion and tearing emotion the young woman found herself to be in. It was her that held her daughter close in a warm and reassuring embrace as the nights brought nothing but endless bouts of tears, unchecked and unstoppable as her body released its conflict through the wracking sobs that swept over her. It was her mother that coaxed her to eat, brought to her the realization that this was no time to forsake her health, not with the young life growing inside of her.

It was Seiko that was the calmest presence in the house, and at the same time, the most chaotic. Watching the situation unfold within her own family and being unable to do a thing to stop it was a mother's worst nightmare. Seeing her child in pain and being incapable of helping to ease the ache. Her husband brought about another storm of confusion and mixed feelings as he went through the days as if he were a man completely transformed, sullen and quiet and constantly deep in thought.

He had begun to forsake the bed they had shared for decades in favor of his endless midnight ramblings. She had no idea where he went three-fourths of the time, and she didn't dare to ask. When she found him on the staircase in the twilight of that morning, she did not question his motives or his activities of the night before as she stepped behind him and slipped her arms around his waist, her body lighting leaning into his own, as if she meant to shelter him with her much smaller and delicate frame. Perhaps she did, even if it was only a wish.

She did not ask and she did not question. The sound of his heavy but purposeful footsteps echoing through the house, his heavy and desperate sighs, all of it was evidence enough. The sound of those footsteps, their long and drawn pause before the entrance of Keiko's bedroom door, the muffled crying escaping through the door's barrier, was blatant enough.

"What are we to do, anata?" she whispered to him, her voice thick with unshed tears as she suddenly remembered the telephone call her husband had made the previous evening. "They're just children, Katsuhiko."

Katsuhiko's eyes were hard, his face placid and stern as he stared ahead out a nearby window, the slightest hints of the approaching sunrise beginning to lighten the sky. "They brought this upon themselves."

xxx

anata: darling; most often used by a woman in referring to her husband


	7. Seven: Drawing the Line

**Turning Point**

**Chapter Seven: Drawing the Line**

The anticipation is the air was stifling, thick and palpable in it overwhelming weight, shapeless and formless, hovering in it malignant presence as it combined with their worries and fear, until it began to seep into the minds of those present, tormenting, unnerving.

Keiko stole a glance at Yusuke, who sat at a table just beyond her bench from where they had congregated that early morning in the still-closed ramen house. They had not dared to sit near one another, not with Katsuhiko's stern visage just a few feet away. He turned his head at the same time, and their eyes met. Keiko found there, in warm eyes of mahogany brown, the same mixture of doubt and fear that she felt inside, twisting in her gut, but also a whisper of a determined resolve. It reassured her, however it may waver, that he had not given up completely.

But that was just like Yusuke, to not give up, to not surrender. By giving in too soon, they would be giving up so much together. However, that was where the conflict lay in the first place. If they did not give in, how strained would both their relationships with Katsuhiko become, both as father and surrogate father?

He smiled softly, the expression strained with his heart not in it, but the gesture warmed her nonetheless as she returned it, wishing she was closer, to have some sort of reassurance, to be able to hold on to him and never let go. As Katsuhiko's head turned, he mouthed a quick sequence of words before turning away as well.

"_I love you."_

That was it, three words of simple reassurance, but her heart seemed to lighten, allowing herself a small smile as she mouthed the same words to his back, knowing he would not hear them or see them, but rather feel them.

And feel them he did, for his back tensed for a moment, and then he looked at her over his shoulder, his hand clenching and unclenching as if unconsciously searching for hers.

Beside her, her mother watched their silent interactions without a word, her expression unreadable as she gently squeezed her daughter's hand and then moved to join Katsuhiko. Katsuhiko faced them a moment later and cleared his throat, his eyes hard, his face strangely serene but eerily expressionless.

"Keiko, your mother and I have discussed this situation at length and I have to say that while frankly I am very deeply, deeply disappointed in both of you, this is not the time for lecture. Instead, we have come to the decisions about how things are going to work from now on."

A quiet presence beside him, Seiko reached for his hand, and he grasped it gladly, outwardly stern and cold as stone, inside…inside he was falling apart. "First of all, there seems to be no question that you two have every intention of raising this child, is that correct?"

Both teenagers nodded, not daring to say a word.

"I thought so. However, for this to work, Seiko and I have come to several decisions that you will follow. There is no leeway in this. Number one, Keiko, you will still graduate from high school. I won't allow you to throw away your future." It went unspoken, of course, that Yusuke had never continued his schooling passed his final year of junior high.

Gently squeezing his hand, Seiko continued where he had left off. "We think its best you continue to attend school, Keiko. You won't start to show for a few more months at the most, but when that happens, we think you should be home-schooled, dear. That way you can still earn the credit and be able to return for your next year."

Katsuhiko nodded in agreement, and began again. "A child, children, is a great blessing, but also the greatest responsibility you will ever face. None of this is going to be even relatively easy. I'm warning you of that now. Seiko and I are prepared to help you every step of the way, any way we can."

"As for you, Yusuke, you need to understand something. I won't allow my daughter or this child out of my house until you prove to me that you can care for them."

"But Yukimura-san, the baby-"

"What do you have now to provide for them, Yusuke? Would you take my daughter away from the comfort and safety of her home when you have nothing?"

Yusuke grew silent, his mouth twisting into a frown, brow furrowing with the severity of the expression. "I know. I know I'm not good enough, Yukimura-san, but all I want is the chance. I want to give the best kind of future to Keiko and our child as I can. Please believe that."

Katsuhiko sighed, combing his fingers through graying brown hair, and leveled a thoughtful gaze in Yusuke's direction. "I did believe in you, Yusuke, as a good and honest young man. Now I understand you both have made a mistake, and you will pay for it, there's nothing we can do to stop that. But my trust in you is wavered, young man, in the both of you. Prove to me that you're ready for this, Yusuke."

Katsuhiko rose to his feet, set both hands down firmly against the table, palms down. "Those are my rules, and they will be abided by. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir," The young couple answered in unison, soft-spoken whispers originating from suppressed frustration and guilty submission.

Katsuhiko bowed his head, nodding decisively. "Alright then. For now, Yusuke, I'd prefer that Keiko stay at home. You see her from time to time, but not too exuberantly. I want it understood that you are not yet welcome in my home."

As the older man looked up at him, Yusuke swallowed, unable to meet the elder's eye. "Hai, Yukimura-san. I understand."

As Katsuhiko left the room, Yusuke fell back into his chair, squeezing his eyes shut as he sharply exhaled, bracing his hands against his forehead. His mind swam with indecision and frustration, torn between outrage at his restrictions on seeing Keiko and his desire to prove himself to Katsuhiko. Why, why did he have to make it so hard? What was the point in making them suffer? Wasn't it enough that they would already pay for their mistakes?"

But still, he took a deep breath and calmed his rage, lapsing into a focus exercise long since taught to him by Genkai. Calm himself, take the anger, the guilt, the doubt, and push it all away. Push it deep down for future consideration, to the very core of him, away from the present awareness.

Focus on seeing the situation from an outside perspective, to think objectively, to quell his emotional reaction and respond with rationality. To look at their situation from Katsuhiko's point of view, attempting to understand the restriction put upon him. To understand the source of the strain and tension, to comtemplate the distance and rejection the older man affronted toward himself and Keiko.

It was hard to form logical thought when his heart was so full. Through the emotional haze, he felt an inkling of understanding, trying to imagine himself in Katsuhiko's position. Keiko was his best friend, his lover, his heart, but first and foremost, she was Katsuhiko's daughter. She was his flesh and blood, and his drive to protect and shelter must be profound.

Perhaps he had not the years of experience Katsuhiko had at his beck, but he was a soon-to-be father himself, and he felt some of that need, to protect from the outside world and all that sought to harm that precious child he called his own. Yusuke had proved himself to be such a threat.

Katsuhiko's eyes were clouded, his vision tunnel-like, focused on one conclusion: his seventeen-year-old daughter was unmarried and pregnant. Everything hoped and planned for her future had been jeopardized, and Yusuke was the one responsible for it all.

"Yusuke?"

He opened his eyes once more, blinking away unfocused vision to see Keiko standing before him, her expression hesitant and concerned. "Are you alright? You look like you're in pain."

He shook his head, managing a smile he hoped would reassure her. "No. I was just thinking."

She nodded, seeming hesitant as she gazed down at him. Her hazel eyes were wide and fearful, full of quelling emotions he was all too familiar with. His face softened with a small smile, and he held out his hand to her. As she ever so lightly placed her fingers over his open palm, he closed his hand around hers, grasping it in a tight but gentle grip.

He pressed his lips to the back of her hand, felt her return his light grip with slight trepidation. Trying to convey all he could through gesture and touch, he found himself struck by the same feeling of awe he had felt at first sight of this girl, this young woman, after their long time apart. The woman who had so long ago stolen his heart and took it was her own.

For she was his heart, no denying that, so profoundly in his soul, the epitome of everything that was love in his life. She was his future, his family. She was carrying the very beginning of that family nestled inside her.

"We'll be okay, Kei," he whispered fervently, closing his eyes as he willed himself to believe, deep down and completely, that they really would be. "I promise you that. Believe me, please."

She smiled softly, eyes brimming with unshed tears, as she rested her head against his shoulder, finally letting them fall as they trailed down cheeks of pallid pallor. "I'll try, Yusuke. I'll try."

xxx

hai: yes


	8. Eight: Making Plans

**Turning Point **

A/N: Just for the record, I haven't really seen the last arc or two of Yu Yu Hakusho, so I only have a vague idea (I got the stuff about a tournament, Raizen, and Yusuke's promise from various online sources). Yusuke was gone three (?) years, so both he and Keiko are seventeen in this story. I don't see it likely that he went back to school, even if it was possible he could, so my Yusuke works odd jobs and semi-lives/sleeps in his mother's apartment.

**Chapter Eight: Making Plans **

The city was bustling with activity on that late summer afternoon, passersby hurrying their way through the floods of bodies crowding the streets, intent on destinations only they knew. The amber glow of sunlight, its source hanging low on the horizon, glinted in brief flashes of illumination off the glass of buildings and metallic signs. Flirting lazily with the cobalt shadows cast by looming skyscrapers.

Kazuma Kuwabara walked the streets with a slow, languorous air, the low drones of conversation around him, mixing with the occasional revving of a motor or the resounding of a siren, drowned out by the music streaming from the headphones clipped at his ears. Occasionally he would mouth a few words or lines of the repetitive lyrics, tapping his fingers rhythmically against the messenger bag at his hip.

The weather was far from temperate, instead the swelling heat most Tokyo inhabitants fearing in the summertime, and so he was casually outfitted in a sleeveless white muscle shirt and khaki shorts cutting of just above the knees. Indulging in one of his rare chances of refrain from his studies, he found he did not mind the heat in exchange for a little leeway. He decisively ignored they way his shirt chafed against his skin as the fabric clung to his back, or the way droplets of sweat stung his eyes even as he wiped the heel of his hand across his brow.

He leaned against the brick expanse of a nearby building, shielding his eyes against the glare of sunlight, and he released a heavy sigh as he sank languidly against the wall. Despite the balmy temperature, it was a fantastic feeling of liberation to be out of the imprisonment of his room and the prep schools he had been attending for the rare chance of freedom. It was a fine time to release the tension and the pent-up frustration that came with being confined to nothing but his studies for a majority of the summer vacation. He could take on the heat and humidity any day if it meant a breath of fresh air and sights not including algebraic formulas, English vocabulary, and classic Japanese literature.

He stood there in his contemplations, the sensation of being doggedly tired finally seeping in as he watched the people pass him by with lazy observation. He combed his fingers through his hair, mussing the reddish curls made a deeply russet color in their sweat-damp state. He found the heat to be a greater adversary than he had initially anticipated as his eyes began to trail longingly to the rows of businesses on the other side of the street, locking on a café advertising ice cream and cool drinks.

Kuwabara stretched his arms and straightened, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he threaded his way through the streams of people to cross the street toward his intended destination. The door swung open with a welcoming chime, a rush of cold air from the air-conditioned interior greeting him as he entered.

The sudden change of temperature raised chills against skin damp with heat generated perspiration, but it was a welcome relief done the less as he stopped inside, removing the headphones to stuff the walkman in the pockets of his leather schoolbag. Black eyes scanned over the neat, tastefully decorated little place and the few occupants scattered around the small round tables. His eyebrows arched with surprise as his gaze settled on a familiar dark-haired man seated in the corner.

He hastily thanked the hostess as she greeted him, making his way through the jungle of tables and chairs cramped into the small space. The other man did not raise his eyes or even take notice as Kuwabara came to a stop before him, focused intently on the newspaper spread on the table in front of him.

"Oi, Urameshi."

Yusuke glanced up for the barest moment before bringing his attention back to the newspaper. He mumbled a lazy greeting, the words muffled by the pen balanced between his teeth. "Oh, hey, Kuwabara."

Kuwabara's face creased with a frown, studying the other teenager before him. Urameshi seemed changed somehow, giving the impression in that moment of being older than his years, in the way he tangled the fingers of both hands in his hair, further mussing disheveled black locks left alone without a hint of gel. His brow was furrowed with contemplation, creases of worry lines appearing between his eyes.

The illusion was fleeting, and then the impression was of a very tired and stressed Yusuke Urameshi, the skin beneath his eyes shadowed with lack of sleep, his color too pale to be entirely healthy. Kuwabara sighed, dreading already the more strenuous duties that came with being the best friend of Tokyo's toughest and most stubborn punk. "Urameshi, mind if I sit down?"

"Do as y'like," Yusuke replied, slurring his words in the street fashion Kuwabara had not heard him use in a while as the redhead slid into the booth beside him, sniffing experimentally at the mug sitting on the table beside his companion, withdrawing as he found it to be strong, black coffee. "Kami, the stuff will kill you."

Yusuke scoffed, removed the pen from his mouth to circle particular columns on the newsprint. "A lot of worse things have tried to kill me. Hell, I've already died twice."

"All the more reason not to take the chance again."

Yusuke narrowed his eyes in his direction in a glare as he waved over a nearby waitress. "What are you? My mother?"

As the girl approached, his manner changed, putting on his best charm as he smiled. To Kuwabara's surprise, it was an open, warm gesture. "Could I get an iced tea for my friend here? Sweetened, pleased?"

As the girl left to put in the order, Kuwabara shot his friend a small, pleased smile. "Well, thanks Urameshi."

Yusuke shrugged, turning his eyes away to concentrate once more on the newspaper. "Sure."

They sat in quiet for a few moments, Yusuke in deep concentration, Kuwabara in Yusuke-centered contemplation. He thanked the waitress as she brought his tea, and he leaned back in his seat as he took a deep drink, savored the cool liquid. As he sipped from the glass, he leaned in to catch a closer look of what his friend was studying. His eyebrows arched in surprise. "Want ads? Don't you already have a job?"

"Soooo," Kuwabara dragged out the syllable, irritated with Yusuke's nonchalant attitude, "What are you doing looking fro another one? I thought you were working construction all summer."

"I was."

"So you're quitting?"

"Iie. I'll keep working shift on long-term projects during the week. I need something on the weekends."

"You've never felt the need to work the full week before."

"Things change." Yusuke grabbed the coffee mug beside him, tossing back a hearty gulp of the thick liquid without the slightest hint of a grimace. He paid little attention to the other man's disgusted expression.

"How can you stand that stuff?" Kuwabara said with a grimace.

"It's better than drinking."

Kuwabara frowned deeply, as he did remember a time when Yusuke would never have hesitated to drink himself into oblivion or indulge in a smoke in stress relief or just pure rebellion. All of that had been years ago, true, long before Koenma had recruited Yusuke and late Kuwabara to be Reikai Tantei, and they were significantly changed guys now. But there was no light, mischievous lilt to be found in Yusuke's voice in a way he often cracked jokes about their pasts, only deep, solemn seriousness.

Kuwabara watched as Urameshi's body tensed, his jaw tightened prophetically under his companion's scrutiny as he scowled in a frustrated fashion. "What are you starting at me for? Gonna nag at me more about my job?"

"Why are you taking two jobs anyway? I know you were saving up for an apartment, but you really seem to be hurrying it along. Have things gotten that bad living with your mom?"

Yusuke's eyes widened for a moment and then grew cold as he turned his face away. "I just need to get out of there," he replied, his tone low and clipped with a sharp edge, "Nothing else to it."

"You sure?" At the withering glare sent in his direction, Kuwabara thought it best to drop that particular topic, turning his eyes to contemplate the melting ice in his tea.

"Is there a reason you have such an adamant interest in my working schedule?"

"Eto…"

Yusuke exhaled harshly, his eyes continuing to darken. "Enough." They sat for a long stretch of uncomfortable silence before Yusuke's face suddenly changed. He wryly eyed his friend, a smirk playing at his lips. "Hey Kuwabara, how'd you get out of the house anyway? Doesn't Shizuru have you on lockdown for the summer?"

Stealing a glance at his watch, Kuwabara's face went pale as he realized the later hour, imagining his sister's rage as she came home from the store to find his room empty and his book abandoned. His head hurt already from all the studying without a familiar thump from his big sis to remind him of his priorities. He dug into bag for his wallet and fisted out a fistful of yen to throw out for the check, but Yusuke caught his wrist. Kuwabara blinked with surprise.

"At least let me cover this," he protested."

Yusuke scowled. "I'm fine. I'll pay for it."

Kuwabara hesitated, and then decided it was best not to further stir his friend's infamous temper. He stuffed the bills into his pocket and slid out of the booth. "Will I see you at Genkai's for the party on Sunday?"

"I don't know if I can make it."

"What! Why not?"

Yusuke huffed, holding up his hands in a defeated gesture. "Mou, you are annoying. Alright, I'll try to go. If only to keep Hiei from kicking your ass, Kuwa-baka."

"Hey, it's not my fault the half-pint can't take a joke. He should face me like a man, instead of getting in the way of me and my precious Yukina."

"Whatever, if you say so."

"So I'll see you on Sunday then?"

"Yeah, yeah. If only you'll stop nagging me."

Kuwabara grinned and offered him a small wave before leaving the café, his mind filling with a sense of doom as he realized just how late he was beating his sister home.

xxxx

Oi: hey! Used to get someone's attention.

Iie: no

Reikai Tantei: Spirit Detectives

Baka: stupid, idiot, fool

Eto: well, actually…

Mou: an expression of annoyance/exasperation


	9. Nine: A Brief Reunion

**Turning Point **

**Chapter Nine: A Brief Reunion **

The Yukimura ramen shop was bustling with activity as Yusuke made his way inside, a sign that good business may have Katsuhiko in a pleasant mood if he happened to spot his daughter's boyfriend. However, a bad sign was that a busy rush may mean that Keiko would have little time to see him.

He weaved his way through the crowds of tables, murmuring apologies where they were needed. He found himself seated in one of the stools in the far corner of the front counter, watching with a half-smile the brown-haired waitress who moved about through the restaurant with a self-assured grace. He really was a lucky guy, he mused silently as he gave his order for a small miso ramen to the waitress that came up to him, a new hire who didn't yet know him by sight.

His eyes inevitably strayed back to his girlfriend, who seemed all the more beautiful despite her harried appearance. Her expression of patient exasperation was invariably similar to the one she wore whenever she lectured or chided him for doing something stupid or inappropriate.

Her hair seemed even lighter now, near the end of her summer break. The effect of long hours under the sunlight produced a chestnut color, the long tresses pulled back into a hastily messy bun, spilling stray strands against the pale column of her neck. More wayward curls fell against her forehead, constantly having to be brushed away from wide, hazel-brown eyes that accented the pretty features of her face. She was nearly a head shorter than him, slim and petite. A tactile memory of just how perfectly her small figure fit into his arms washed over him, chased by a rather lecherous reflection on the softly-formed cures and swaying hips hidden beneath the apron around her waist.

His slight smile grew into a grin as he leaned back in his seat, awaiting his ramen as he made a mental note of the fact that he would never dare to say any of this aloud. He told her often she was beautiful, of course, but any of the rest was sure to earn him a slap worthy of addling his brains or a swift kick to a place that would ensure they had no more children beyond the one she carried within her.

His smile slowly faded, taking on a more thoughtful air. What would she be like, when that lithe swelled with the weight of their child? Would she be like those tired women sometimes saw in his neighborhood, harried and heavily burdened, or would she be as ecstatic as he was sure to feel, healthy and happy and more beautiful than she had ever been as she carried life in her womb?

As if to respond to his private reflection, Keiko turned her head, her eyes filling with excited recognition as they met his. Her nonchalant expression warmed with a welcoming smile, and he greeted her with a cocky smirk and a wave. She mouthed a quick _"just a second" _as she turned back to the customers she had been serving, called back to the kitchens to tell her father she was taking a break. She took off her apron and grabbed Yusuke's hand as she moved passed him, giving him just enough time to grab a last bite of his ramen before she tugged him through the door leading to the back room.

After making sure the door closed behind them, she whirled back to face him, eying him with a mixture of wariness and excitement. She chewed on her lips fretfully, her hands folded behind her back, offering him a tentative smile. She spoke softly, hesitantly. "You might think this sounds ridiculous…I mean it's only been a few days, but I I've missed you so much." She flushed, shaking her head self-consciously. "Okay, I must sound like a love-sick schoolgirl, but I meant it, so I can't take it back."

"Doesn't sound so much ridiculous as completely sappy," he said as his mouth stretched into a full, teasing grin, "Would it make you feel better if I felt the same?" He opened his arms invitingly, watched as her arms brightened and she practically leapt into his embrace.

Her slender arms twined around his neck, her body pressing into his. As he brushed a kiss to her temple and pressed his face to her hair, a feeling of utter contentment washed over him. As she said, in those few days that had passed since seeing her, the lack of her presence had been a powerful, almost tangible sensation, an ache of not having her there with him, of needing her beside him. This was his haven, his solace, having her resting so peacefully in his arms.

"I'll make us even," he murmured softly, "In danger of being sappy, I gotta say that I've missed you so much it hurt."

A soft sound escaped her, somewhere between a laugh and a sob, and she caught his hand in hers, not missing his slight wince. With an almost motherly air, she cradled his larger palm in hers, lifting their joined hands to her eye level. Her face clouded with concern as she took in his bruised knuckles, the half-healed scrapes brazenly red against his skin. She pressed the lightest of kisses to the abused knuckles, watching as his fingers twitched, entwining with hers. "Why didn't you have it treated?"

The memory of his pain, of helplessly watching him slam his fists into the concrete of her front stoop as her father slammed the door in his face, was a raw wound inside both of them, and she winced at the recollection. "I didn't think it needed it," he muttered, his eyes darkening with unspoken emotions as he looked down at her, "Let's talk about it later, okay?"

She nodded as she leaned closer to him, pressing her face to the crook of his neck, breathing in the familiar smell of him, a mixture of sweat of a subtle scent that was entirely male. Her curiosity piqued, she slipped her hands beneath the denim of his sleeveless jacket, felt the way the thin material of his t-shirt clung to his damp skin, feeling his muscles tense and knotted beneath her touch.

She drew back enough to look him in the eye, leaned up to press a light kiss against his lips, the texture of the near-invisible stubble along his jaw, rough against her skin.

"Hmm, you've been working at the construction site in this heat?"

Yusuke nodded, loosening his hold as he rolled back his shoulders, as if the mere mention of it made him aware once more of the muscular ache caused by the physical labor he did for a living. "Yeah, I've been putting in extra hours for Watanabe. The man's a damn slave driver, I swear."

Keiko's mouth thinned into a frown. "Extra hours? I thought you were planning to quit. You've always complained about how hard the work is…"

"I know, I know. But it pays well. I'm going to take jobs from Watanabe as long as I can, at least until the winter."

She shook her head as she reached up, fingers kneading the tense cords of muscle in his neck. He sighed softly, muttering quiet words of gratitude as her touches took on a stroking motion. She gently skimmed her fingers down the sensitive skin of his neck, sifting through the fine hair at his nape. "Yusuke…you don't have to work a job you hate so much…I couldn't ask that of you…"

He gazed at her through hooded eyes, one of her hands, continuing to gently stroke his hair, the other coming to rest against the side of his face. He brushed against the palm cradling his cheek. "I'm asking it of myself, Kei. I have to prove it to myself, to you, and to Jii-san that I can take care of you," he quietly sighed, "This is just something I need to do."

She stared at him for a few more moments, and then reluctantly nodded. She slid seamlessly against him as he hugged once more, his arms wrapping around her, her head coming to rest against his chest. She felt solid muscle beneath her cheek, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat audible to her, both sensations serving as a strong, steady reassurance. "Alright," she whispered to him, "Do what you need to, koi. Just don't kill yourself doing it."

In her voice, was a whisper of old pains, old hurts she had experienced when she had left alone in pursuit of what he thought he needed, all those times he had been selfishly pushing himself to the very edges (and beyond) of what he could take and remind blind to the pain she felt in the worry he caused her. He tightened his arms around her, kissing the curve of her neck. "I promise. I'll never be that stupid again."

The resolve in his voice as strong and unwavering, resounding strongly despite its lack of sound in those minutes of silence as they simply held each other, savoring the presence they would have to do without. Her head moved against his shoulder, tilting upward to meet his eyes. "I almost forgot. My mother scheduled my first doctor's appointment."

His interest piqued, he glanced down at her. "When is it?"

"Monday morning."

His brow furrowed as he frowned. "The first day of school?"

"Yes. It's the only day we could get with Takaya-sensei."

"Takaya…he's your family doctor, isn't he?"

"Hmm-mm…"

She chuckled softly. "I remember. We were…six, I think. You were mad as a hornet when Daddy wouldn't let you in my room. You kicked his shins black and blue until he let you in."

He grinned. "Yeah, then I got sick too and spent the next week at your house in bed." He nodded decisively before leaning his head against her. "Takaya then. He's alright for an old guy. He got you better then."

She giggled. "Glad you approve."

"Of course, I'm the daddy. I've got to approve."

"Yusuke?"

"Hmm?"

She bit her lip, glancing up at him hesitantly. "You like that idea, don't you? Of being a daddy?"

She smiled, lacing her arms around his neck as she kissed him, a quiet, languorous contact, a soft press of her mouth to his, deepening as he gently pressed her back against the wall. His body molded into hers in a way that sent a thrill down her spine, slowly stirring a heat between them.

His hands stroked her sides, eliciting a startled gasp from her as they skimmed upward to just barely brush the curve of her breasts in a ghostlike caress. She clutched at his shoulders, burrowing further into his embrace as the warmth and feel of him enthralled her, called to her, and beckoned her closer to the edges of loving passion.

They parted reluctantly at the need for breath and she sank back bonelessly against the door. She consequently pulled him down with her, his arms locking around her, his body a firm weight against her as his face pressed to the crook of her neck.

He refused to remain idle, lips beginning to trail light, fleeting kisses down her collarbone, and she tangled her hands in his hair, angling her head to give him better access.

The moment his tongue flicked against her sensitized skin, something jarred her back to awareness, a hint of rationality breaking through the fog of pleasure. She gently but insistently shoved at his shoulders, fighting down her reluctance in favor of common sense.

"Yusuke, matte," she whispered, tilting his head up, "Stop." As he looked at her with hazy, confused eyes, she sadly shook her head. "You know we can't. Not here, of all places."

He heaved a heavy, dramatic sigh, but he did obey, straightening from where he levered over her to look at her with a hint of humor in his eyes. "You're probably right. We don't want Jii-san finding me in here and chasing me out of his restaurant with a shotgun."

She couldn't help herself as she laughed softly, pressing her lips together to keep from protesting when he drew back a respectable distance. Foolish as she was for wanting right now, there was nothing she could do to help herself. Because gods, did she want to be close to him, but they seemed to have a habit for wrong time and place. Not to mention at this proximity, she didn't trust herself anymore than she trust him….especially with the way his eyes kept lingering on certain areas of her body, their mahogany orbs darkened with a look she was all too familiar with.

"I don't think Daddy owns a gun of any kind, but he was eying the kitchen knives strangely this morning."

"A kitchen knife then." He grinned and she returned it, glad to see him relaxed, glad that they could smile and laugh together, tease and touch and just e close again. She had been struck by a fear that the tension of the past few weeks had been so tiring and drawn out. So much so it had begun to seep into their very beings, taking away who they used to be. But she looked now into his eyes, and she saw the same self-confidence, the same love, the same mixture of gentleness and bravado that made him Yusuke.

She reached out, laid her hand against his cheek, and smiled softly. "As much as I hate to say it, speaking of Daddy, you should probably go, Yusuke. I'm sure he saw you come in, but I doubt he'll be happy about us back here alone for so long."

Yusuke leaned into her touch for a moment, closing his eyes, and her heart melted at the sight. He suddenly seemed so young in those few moments, vulnerable in a way she often felt when encased in his arms, surrounded by the strong, masculine presence that made up who he was. Her heart ached as she was reminded of the boy he had been. Her heart swelled as she thought of the man he had become.

He opened his eyes, and nodded, drawing away as she let her hands fall. Seeing her uncertain look, he smiled reassuringly. "I almost forgot. I wanted to ask if you were going to Genkai's tomorrow."

"Are you?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "I wasn't going, with everything that's going on, but Kuwabara cajoled me into it."

"I didn't realize Kazuma-kun was so persuasive."

"Yeah, well…I did promise the old hag I'd come this time. Besides…" His face grew serious, disconcerted. "We have to tell everyone sometime."

She smiled weakly, taking his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Hai, we do have to do that, don't we?" She leaned in, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I'll be there. I promised Yukina-chan and Shizuru-san that I would."

"Alright." He cupped her face in his hands, drew her mouth to his in a quick but thorough kiss, swallowing audibly as he drew back a few moments later, his eyes shadowed. "Ja, Keiko."

"Ja, Yusuke. Take care of yourself."

"The same to you."

xxx

Koi: term of endearment, meaning "love"

Matte: wait

Jii-san: short for ojii-san, uncle or grandfather

-sensei: honorific generally referencing a teacher, also used to address those in other professions such as doctors

Ja: short for ja ne, "see you" or "see you later"


End file.
